Cover Story:
A Tribute to Poet Laureates and Novelists
Around the Nation by Pola Rosen, Ed.D.

During April, National Poetry Month in the United States, each state selects a poet laureate. Education Update interviewed five poet laureates from different regions of our country as well as personal interviews with writers of renown. We hope you will discover a host of emotions and inspiration to write your own couplets, sonnets or iambic pentameter, as the spirit moves you.

We posed the following questions to the poet laureates:
At what age did you start writing? Can you share some of the inspirations for your writing? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced? Describe turning points in your career as a writer. Who were/are some of your mentors? List some of your favorite books/poems. What is your advice to young writers today? [Would a literary agent help to launch their career? How do you go about finding one?]